Panama Canal dredging programme complete
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has completed the dredging of the navigational channels along Culebra Cut, an important milestone in its canal expansion programme.
The dredging works, which began in March 2008, will deepen and widen the channels along the Culebra Cut which is a difficult area to access due to its narrowness.
A total of 3,200,000m³ of material was removed during the deepening of the Culebra Cut.
Panama Canal personnel used ACP equipment for the project, including dredgers Mindi, Rialto M Christensen and Quibian I, and drill barges, Thor and Baru. The ACP also used contracted equipment, including dredgers, II Principe and Cornelius, from Belgian company, Jan de Nul, and Dutch company, Royal Boskalis Westminster NV.
The ACP reached another important milestone last week when the first 1,000,000m³ of concrete were poured in to the locks construction site on the Atlantic side of the channel.
Jorge L Quijano, administrator, Panama Canal, said: “This important achievement fills each man and woman within the organisation with pride. We are gradually completing all the projects that make up the expansion programme.”
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